French startup NikkoIA licenses near-infrared imaging technology from Siemens
NikkoIA (Grenoble, France) hopes to become a significant manufacturers of near-infrared (NIR) imaging photodetectors by signing a exclusive global license agreement on a patents portfolio and associated knowledge developed by Siemens Corporate Technology (Munich, Germany). Created in May 2011, NikkoIA will design and manufacture photodetectors and multispectral image sensors in the visible and NIR spectrum.
The Siemens sensor technology is said to offer significant cost benefit over existing NIR sensors, and will enable the development of new applications for its target markets. Sensors can be made up to several hundreds of square inches in size, with varying shape, sensitivity and resolution. The production process is compatible with any reading substrates--ie, CMOS, amorphous Silicon thin-film transistor backplanes, or printed electronics in the future).
"Our labs are recognized for developing disruptive technologies," said Joachim Wecker, leader of organic electronics at Siemens Corporate Technology. "We wanted to make the most out of 10 years of research and experience on these organic photodetectors and photodiodes. The proposed project and the motivation of NikkoIA’s founding team convinced us they are the right people for this."
Alain Jutant, NikkoIA President, says, "Our vision consists in mastering the photodetection layer as a key element of our know-how and products, and in considering related electronic reading systems as commodities."
Initially, the company intends to use this technology to develop detectors and image sensors in the visible and near infrared parts of the spectrum. "Our products enable more intuitive and less invasive systems and solutions in the medical, security, and user interfaces markets," adds Jutant.
SOURCE: NikkoIA
--Posted by Vision Systems Design